Alpha Legion - Word Bearers Overlap

[darth_giles]

So, I got to thinking about how the Alpha Legion could take its less-mutated troops, and use them to infiltrate Loyalist areas- because most loyalist field commanders don't know enough about the threat of Chaos to be able to tell Marines with the taint of Chaos from those without.

 

Thus, the idea for Pretender Tactical Squads.

 

Basically, its a standard Chaos Space Marine squad, made with Imperial bits. Maybe a Legion shoulder pad (on the correct side for Loyalists) since the WB and AL pads don't have anything too obviously Chaotic, or a decal, but that's it. The Icon is suitably generic, maybe an Imperial-style banner with no arrowheads. But it does have a nice rendition of the chapter logo, in Loyalist style. Now, they aren't going to be doing it in the name of the WB or AL; they'd probably do it as the Howling Skulls or Hydras, or develop some other "captain ersatz" chapter name.

 

Their background fluff is that they infiltrate loyalist facilities and gather information, plant cult tracts, and steal supplies meant for Loyalis chapters. They might even get bold enough to file a bogus requisition from a major Loyalist supplier, like a Forge World or something like that. Given how inept the Imperial bureaucracy is, it might be a couple of centuries before they notice the brazen theft of a million rounds of Bolter ammo, five Dreadnought sarcophagi, five Rhinos, two Predators, three Land Raiders and five suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armor.

 

Anyone else like this idea?

[Bearingtheword]

Sounds like it could have some interesting potential....

 

 

~BtW

[Snejk]

That sounds like a great idea. Funny enough i read this post after lookin through the Black Crusade RPG rulebook yesterday. However i would make it a chosen squad. Just for the Infiltration skill. I'm about to build some sort of AL cell in the near future. A bit like the WB cell in the Daemon World novel.

 

Looking forward to see some pics.:-)

[Snejk]

Ohhh double post...

[Saa]

See if you can nab a few Psychic Hoods while you're at it....and a couple of Land Speeders......and some Thunder Hammers....um......and maybe a Whirlwind or two. I'd be in the market for a few of them ;)

 

.......*cough* and some Razorbacks

 

Saa

[Lord_Caerolion]

Um, what do the Word Bearers have to do with this question?

[darth_giles]

Um, what do the Word Bearers have to do with this question?

Both they and the Alphas are likely to do it considering how they go around starting chaos cults and all that, and it doesn't really conflict with any existing WB fluff.

 

And the fact that the Imperium would less expect the Word Bearers to do it considering how its the Alpha Legion's trademark.

[Urauloth]

It definitely sounds like something the alpha legion would do (and similar to several things they already have done) but I'm less sure about word bearers; my impression has always been that their cults are intended to be a frenzied mob of cannon fodder, rather than the subtle "long con" infiltration of organizations and governments the alpha legion go for.

[Bearingtheword]

I don't know about it not being very "Word Bearery"...

 

Sounds very devious to me.....

 

and we all know that Erebus and Kor Phaeron are the absolute "Emperors" when it comes to deviousness...... ;)

 

~BtW

[Lord_Caerolion]

The Word Bearers aren't exactly known for their subtlety. They don't form hidden cults, they form religions. They're too fanatical to do that sort of thing. You're right, in that nothing ever explicitly states the Word Bearers don't do that sort of thing, but it runs contrary to their character.

[WarpWhisper]

I too am not sure of the Word Bearers connection to this, but that could just be because I'm so patriotically Alpha Legion! :)

 

Disguised squads have often been a favourate of AL players: check out these fake smurfs (scroll down to third pic onwards) with their subtle AL symbols hidden in plain sight, the concept of the chameleon squad from this post onwards, and this unit made up from armour stolen from regular gaming opponenents.

[totgeboren]

After Lorgar fell to chaos, which was long before the Horus Heresy, all planets the Word Bearers conquered were infiltrated with chaos cells. If I remember correctly, all these worlds threw of the rule of the Imperium extremely quickly when the Heresy started. They were already chaos-worlds, they just didn't tell anyone about it.

 

Ok, that was long ago, but in their IA article, it was noted that the WB and AL have come into conflict many times when they both have planted hidden cults on the same planet.

 

And really, in many stories concerning the WB, they have received great help from collaborators in the enemy ranks, who are most of the time part of a WB chaos cult which the legion has started up long before the invasion. They might be fanatics, but they are methodical, and above all, thorough.

[Bearingtheword]

The Word Bearers aren't exactly known for their subtlety. They don't form hidden cults, they form religions. They're too fanatical to do that sort of thing. You're right, in that nothing ever explicitly states the Word Bearers don't do that sort of thing, but it runs contrary to their character.

 

 

LOL

 

Not known for subtlety????

 

Do we forget who helped orchestrate the turning of 9 legions ultimately to chaos and against the Emperor...

 

Please.....Pshhhhhah.... :)

 

 

Granted, this is something that the AL would definitely do....just don't be so quick to underestimate the deviousness of the WB :D

 

~BtW

 

as well as what Totgeboren stated above...

[alphariusomegon20]

Um, what do the Word Bearers have to do with this question?

Both they and the Alphas are likely to do it considering how they go around starting chaos cults and all that, and it doesn't really conflict with any existing WB fluff.

 

And the fact that the Imperium would less expect the Word Bearers to do it considering how its the Alpha Legion's trademark.

 

Well you do have to remember AL and WB use cults for two very different reasons.

 

Simplified, AL does it to sow anarchy and chaos on a planet. They could really give a rat's ass about the cult in general. They view it as a tool to accomplish.

 

Wb views cults as way to convert a planet to Chaos prior to WB landing.

 

That being said, AL would use Chosen to accomplish an infiltration, WB would use most likely Possessed to do it.

[darth_giles]

That being said, AL would use Chosen to accomplish an infiltration, WB would use most likely Possessed to do it.

I'm not entirely sure they'd use either. IMO they'd be more likely to use unmarked "basic" CSM squads so an Inquisitor passing by would be less likely to detect the smell of the Four Powers on them.

[Azarias]

I do something slightly similar with my marines: My original Word Bearers Warband was a little in-your-face with regards to its Chaos Worship (banners, flames, etc...), which didn't sit well with my hope for a squad of Chosen. Then I read Legion, of course, and made a for-hire squad of Alpha Legion comprised of part traitor/part loyalist parts to represent their ambiguous relationship with Chaos. My favorite model has to be the unit with a regular, Imperial lightning talon, and that grotesque mutated claw that comes with the regular CSM box - and how I wrapped it up in green stuff bandages to hide the deformity.

 

Though I do like your idea of a Traitor Squad so deep in Imperial cover that they can make requisition requests and so forth. Fantastic instance of AL-Brand sneakiness.

[Kizzdougs]

I've always wanted to do an Ultramarine (Alpha Legion) tactical squad for my CSM army.

 

I have to say that it fits the Alpha Legion much better than it does the Word Bearers.

[alphariusomegon20]

That being said, AL would use Chosen to accomplish an infiltration, WB would use most likely Possessed to do it.

I'm not entirely sure they'd use either. IMO they'd be more likely to use unmarked "basic" CSM squads so an Inquisitor passing by would be less likely to detect the smell of the Four Powers on them.

 

 

I cite the Black Library Word Bearer series as an example of this. Burias and the Possessed were used in this manner in one of the books.

[Bearingtheword]

The only thing I can recall from my multiple readings of the WB trilogy that is even close to what you are saying is when Burias and the Possessed were sent out on what basically amounted to a "head hunting" mission. Which while that is a stealthy infiltration, I don't think that's quite what DG means here (Though I could be wrong on both counts). What I am getting out of his idea is that he means a group that would literally hide in plain sight, they would for all intents and purposes be mistaken for the Emperor's lapdogs. Whereas the Possessed were more like a sneaky, hidden from sight, kill team.

 

As for the way WB treat their "cultists", they'd use them the same way they use daemons (which they consider beneath them) as basically cannon fodder. But I am certain there are plenty of other occassions where they could place certain members of said cults into the ruling heirarchy and use them subtly to confound, confuse, and exploit a target planetary system quietly from within. There is certainly precedent for it. They were able to subtly assist in corrupting 8 other legions, as well as IG and half the Mechanicum. They even had very well placed, high ranking members of the Mechanicum overseeing the building of a new a warship right under the Emperor's nose in the same solar system as Terra ( The Furious Abyss.) So I think the misconception of them being a sledgehammer as opposed to a scalpel is just that......a misconception. Although, I have to wonder if they prefer being thought of that way, as it definately gives plenty of room for ones enemies to underestimate them. I know I would.

 

So I think it would be entirely plausible for the WB to do that.......as well as the AL. Is it more inline with the published AL fluff? Yes, but don't underestimate the deviousness of the sons of Lorgar. :)

 

 

~BtW

[alphariusomegon20]

The only thing I can recall from my multiple readings of the WB trilogy that is even close to what you are saying is when Burias and the Possessed were sent out on what basically amounted to a "head hunting" mission. Which while that is a stealthy infiltration, I don't think that's quite what DG means here (Though I could be wrong on both counts). What I am getting out of his idea is that he means a group that would literally hide in plain sight, they would for all intents and purposes be mistaken for the Emperor's lapdogs. Whereas the Possessed were more like a sneaky, hidden from sight, kill team.

 

As for the way WB treat their "cultists", they'd use them the same way they use daemons (which they consider beneath them) as basically cannon fodder. But I am certain there are plenty of other occassions where they could place certain members of said cults into the ruling heirarchy and use them subtly to confound, confuse, and exploit a target planetary system quietly from within. There is certainly precedent for it. They were able to subtly assist in corrupting 8 other legions, as well as IG and half the Mechanicum. They even had very well placed, high ranking members of the Mechanicum overseeing the building of a new a warship right under the Emperor's nose in the same solar system as Terra ( The Furious Abyss.) So I think the misconception of them being a sledgehammer as opposed to a scalpel is just that......a misconception. Although, I have to wonder if they prefer being thought of that way, as it definately gives plenty of room for ones enemies to underestimate them. I know I would.

 

So I think it would be entirely plausible for the WB to do that.......as well as the AL. Is it more inline with the published AL fluff? Yes, but don't underestimate the deviousness of the sons of Lorgar. :)

 

 

~BtW

 

I don't underestimate it at all. In fact, I agree of most of your post, if not all of it.

 

However, AL only uses the scalpel technique, WB can do either, if need be.

 

;)

 

Al tends to see Cults as a means to an end.